Page 12 of Why Not Forever?

Spencer snorts. “I’m not worried about it. If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll talk to Lis beforehand and tell her you have some news as well. If she has a problem with it, I’ll let you know.”

“I could go first. That way, your news will overshadow mine.”

He leans back in his chair. “You think a baby is going to overshadow a surprise engagement?” He seems to consider it for a moment. “It’s really a toss-up, but worth a shot.”

I return to my office, distracted all day. By the time I’m finished work for the night, everyone else is gone. It’s later than I’d intended, but I had to get a few things done, and with my distractions, they took longer than they normally would have. Instead of going home, I take an Uber to Derek’s house, where I’m the first to arrive.

Ava is in the kitchen when I walk in.

“Hey. How are you doing?” I ask, because she and Derek are getting married in one week.

She grins at me. “Excited, nervous, feeling like I’m forgetting a million things.”

I give her a smile. “Remember, we’ve done this a thousand times before. Spencer won’t let anything go wrong.”

She laughs. “That’s what Derek keeps telling me. I just really like to be in control.”

I laugh with her. “You’re preaching to the choir.”

Derek comes into the kitchen to the sound of our laughter, smiling at us before kissing Ava’s temple. “Got anything else for me to bring up?” he asks.

Ava hands him a tray of snacks and two cans of beer. I go to the fridge and grab one for myself, then follow them upstairs. We chat for a while on Derek’s rooftop deck, his cat, Abyss, dozing in the sun in her catio. Ava’s sister, Lacey, is out at her gymnastics club where she works as a coach now. A little while later, Spencer and Lis join us, followed by Adalie and her boyfriend Nate. Once everyone is sitting, and before we start the game of Codenames we’d decided on, I figure it’s time.

“I had an interesting visit from someone today,” I say.

Derek pauses, setting up the game, glancing at me. “Oh?”

I wonder for a second if he’d seen Tanner. Then I launch into my explanation about what happened this morning, leaving out how we’d slept together over seven years ago. I don’t want my and Tanner’s history to muddy the reality now.

When I’m done, no one speaks.

Lis’ mouth is dropped open as she looks between me and Spencer. He must have told her I had something to announce, but not what it was. I take a sip of my beer, more to give my hands something to do than because I want to drink it.

Adalie holds up her hand. “So, you’re getting married. To Tanner.”

“Essentially, yes,” I say. “We’re going for dinner tomorrow to discuss it.”

“Like on a date?” Adalie asks.

I make a face. “No. Spencer is coming. And Tanner’s brother, Wyatt. It’s not a date.”

“Don’t you think you should have a date before you get married?” Lis asks.

“What for?” I ask. “It’s not a love match. It’s a business arrangement.”

“A marriage of convenience?” Ava says.

I snort. “More likeinconvenience. But I guess so. It’s temporary.”

Derek sets out a few more cards for the game. Other than Spencer—who told me his thoughts this morning—and Nate—who I don’t expect to say anything since he usually doesn’t—Derek is the only one who hasn’t spoken yet. I can tell he’s thinking, so I wait for him to speak. It only takes a moment.

“If you own part of Sterling, are you going to leave Blue Vista? Not even you can run two companies. Especially not one the size of Sterling.”

“I don’t know what will happen. That’s something we’ll need to discuss. The four of us and Tanner.”

Because Derek is right, I can’t run two businesses. But I also want this. I need to go through with this. Sterling is my birthright. Mine and my brother, Liam’s, but Liam has never wanted it.

I glance at Spencer, begging him with my eyes to change the subject. He catches my look and squeezes Lis’ hand. She picks up her wine glass—filled with apple juice—and hands it to Adalie.

---